13 Outdoor Party Ideas For An Effortless Backyard Gathering

Then you'll know the best way to deal with your weed problem. Try stacking your container garden on a painted wooden ladder. Arrange a comfortable dining spot, complete with soft throws, decorative pillows, and lanterns. Sometimes less is more, especially when nature acts as a stunning backdrop. Here, concrete furniture adds visual interest, while letting a striking tree steal the show. Ground your outdoor space — and experiment with a preppy aesthetic — by opting for cheerful plaid cushions.

Keep your basil close at hand by screwing hose clamps onto a freebie wood pallet. The backboard leans against a railing, so you can keep fresh herbs right on the deck. Turn over an oversized bucket (you may already have one buried in your garage!) and plop it down on your front porch to use as a little table to display flowers or hold a drink. All you need to do is cut a square bandana into a triangle, and hot glue it onto some twine. Pick any color you like and repeat until you get the perfect length.

Fully loaded playground sets with more than a dozen play features might be the grandest of all backyard ideas for kids. Multiple swing seats, monkey bars, a climbing wall and a slide on the ground level give your children and their friends little reason to be bored but there’s even more fun up above. A clubhouse on the upper deck has plenty of room to play and after they’re worn out from all of the activity, they can relax in the shade on a bench swing hanging below.

Creating dual usage flex spaces in the backyard provides viable outdoor living space makes living and working at home so much more interesting. This beautiful backyard designed by The Garden Concierge makes the most of a hilly landscape by building in steps and a separate patio area on the lower area. It also cleverly conceals the road from view with tall cypress trees. Whatever your terrain, it's always better to work around it.

You'd love a sprawling outdoor lounge, but simply don't have the space... A well-designed deck and tasteful freestanding hot tub can be just as covetable, as proven by this outdoor area by Regan Baker Design. A multi-level landscape design can create the illusion of a larger backyard. It breaks things up visually and allows you to designate each level to a different purpose.

Concrete patios, brick pavers, tiled spaces, or raised planter beds would all contribute to a backyard’s hardscape. Consider a hill for a slip-&-slide or Outdoor fun a safe zone for a kiddie pool. Kids will go chalk wild for this plus-size chalkboard (and you'll be happy to keep the chalk dust outside!). Stir one cup at a time in a container to ensure proper blending. Apply two coats of the paint to a large piece of plywood. Once it's dried, hang the finished drawing station at kid height with heavy-duty picture-hanging hardware.

This is quite an impressive selection of backyard interest centers for kids. I think that having some of their younger kid toys or play area lets them escape. Finding different ways to use some of what we have is important, and you have found some of those. The idea of repainting faded older plastic was such a “DUH” idea to me lol but I never thought of it!

Surrounded by seasonal blooms, your guests will be able to appreciate your green thumb while enjoying the scent of nearby blooms. Cozy up fall and winter get-togethers with a self-service coffee and cocoa station. Guests of all ages will love playing barista to mix up their favorite warm cuppa. Let guests help themselves to a boozy bevvie with an outdoor bar cart and tubs filled with ice and bottled brews. If young kids will be present, stock it with only non-alcoholic beverages so they don't accidentally grab a tipsy sip and keep the booze behind the bar.

Also, be sure to consider the overall size of your backyard. Some people like the idea of designing out every square inch of their backyard while others enjoy the look of a fresh, green lawn. Here's how to create a miniature piece of real estate that kids can call their own; we think it would also be the perfect vacation home for a toad.

Gather the family around a fire and get toasty with some marshmallows. But at the risk of setting fire to this idea completely , make sure to check if backyard firepits are legal in your area . The Great White North is subject to a notoriously short summer, so it's no surprise to find local hangouts swarming with people relishing the warm weather at this time of year. In addition to on-the-ground playhouses, "Treehouses are also a wonder for the slightly older children to escape to and cook up notions of far flung adventures," says Tanksley. "New perimeter fencing can give an updated feel to your yard," says Saul. "Whether you are a modernist or a traditionalist, there are fence designs to suit your style."